by Island Man 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The WT argument assumes that the text from ancient times was written in ancient times; there is no evidence it was, and plenty of evidence it wasn't.
Nearly all scholars think that the final redaction of the OT happened in exile and dates to between 400 BCE and 700 BCE.
OT was not finalized until much later times until 300 BCE; and it was a process where acceptance of various books of the Hebrew canon was not universally accepted by all Jewish scholars at that time. I had generally encountered in various books that it was a three stage process, which started after Babylonian exile and continued until 2nd century BC. If the book of Daniel was written in 2nd century, the OT could not be completed by 400 BCE.
Illiteracy rate reminded high among all segment of population until the invention of printing press, which means that even Jews depended on oral tradition and oral literacy to recite various part of the canon from memory. A few wealthy could own book or manuscript before 1450. If Jewish literacy was twice that high of the medieval population (15%), it would still mean that 70% of them would not be able to read and write in the 1300.
The contrast that WTBS makes in the CBS this week is not the same as the contrast the author of Hebrews makes. Hebrews 1:1 was cited. This says:
Long ago God spoke to our forefathers by means of the prophets on many occasions and in many ways.
The next verse was conveniently skipped. And here's the biblical contrast:
Now at the end of these days he has spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things
There is another contrast between the Exodus account and Hebrews.This was conveniently skipped over by the writer of the material.
For you have not approached something that can be felt and that has been set aflame with fire, and a dark cloud and thick darkness and a storm, 19 and the blast of a trumpet and the voice speaking words, which on hearing, the people begged that nothing further should be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command: “If even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 21 Also, the display was so terrifying that Moses said: “I am afraid and trembling.” 22 But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels 23 in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, 24 and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood, which speaks in a better way than Abel’s blood.
The contrast here is that the Israelites were commanded to not approach the mountain, but those who are part of the new covenant are instructed to do so. The scene in the Exodus account was apparently quite terrifying and the sound quite horrifying. Not so with those in the new covenant.
Paragraph 4 makes the point about how writing the law down solved the issue of the difficulty of having to remember so many laws. But isn't that exactly what rank and file Israelites living in Moses' day had to do? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it true that the Law was only readily available to the priests who were charged with orally instructing the rest of the nation? Regular Israelites didn't have the luxury of consulting their own personal copy of the Law like bible owners today have.
Correct. And the kings of Israel had to write their own copy and read it daily. Keep in mind that "the Law" was Genesis through Deuteronomy. It really was just a small portion of that. So, writing it down would have taken a few days (or maybe a few weeks at most).
The entire CBS was all about comparing the JW way of worship to the Israelite way. That way was made obsolete. (Heb 8:13)
